How will I get from my host home to school?

Should I bring my laptop?

Absolutely! It is very useful and convenient to bring a laptop to France. IAU College has a wireless environment available Monday through Friday. In addition, students have access to computers and a printer. If students need to use the Internet later in the evening or on weekends, there are Internet cafes located in town. Students should be aware that some hosts do not have an Internet connection and even if they do, it may not be wireless. Detailed information on adaptors can be found in our Hip Pocket Guide.

What are my options for study at The Marchutz School of Fine Arts?

What are the language requirements to study at The School of Humanities and Social Sciences?

No previous French is required, but all semester students are required to take at least one French course. Beginners are required to enroll in French 101 and French 113. Courses are offered at the beginning (French 101) through the advanced level.

What are the language requirements to study at The Marchutz School of Fine Arts?

No previous French is required, but all semester students are required to take at least one French course. Beginners are required to enroll in French 101 and French 113. Courses are offered at the beginning (French 101) through the advanced level.

What is the minimum age/class requirement for study at IAU College?

What is the minimum credit load? What is the maximum?

For a given semester, a full-time student will take 12 - 15 credits (4 or 5 classes). Occasionally, 18 credits may be approved with the consent of the appropriate authority on the home campus and the Center Director. A student enrolled in 1-3 courses is considered part-time. Summer students enroll in 2 courses or 6 credits.

When is the application deadline?

Fall term: May 1st, Spring term: November 1st, Summer term in Aix-en-Provence: April 15th, Summer Term in Barcelona: April 1st, J-Term: October 1st. Applications received after these dates will be considered on a space-available basis.

Where will I live?

IAU places its students with carefully selected French families, as this integration into French culture is a fundamental element of the study abroad experience with IAU. Living in the home of a French host family is considered the best form of housing because it provides an immediate introduction to life in this new place. However, "family" should not be interpreted too narrowly. Some host families are childless couples, single adults, or single adults with children. Hosts come from a cross-section of society; they belong to no particular professional or social milieu, but all are carefully chosen and many have hosted American students for several years. The homestay is itself a learning experience, so students should expect to encounter challenges and rewards during their stay as they learn to adapt to the lifestyle amongst foreigners and in a foreign culture.

Living in a French home is seen universally as an invaluable opportunity not found in many study abroad programs. naturally, all students must accept the constraints and responsibilities that such arrangements entail. Whenever possible, IAU accommodates students' stated housing preferences.

Will I need a cell phone?

We highly recommend having a cell phone while on your program with IAU. This is for several reasons, chief among them are safety and security. In addition, it will obviously be a very convenient way for you to stay in touch with family and friends - both in France and back home. Finally, you will not be able to use your host's landline phone much since utilities in France are still quite expensive. So while it is essential to have one, it is not easy when it comes to choosing the right international cell phone company/provider/plan nor will you find one that can compare cost-wise to your current cell phone plan. The associated charges for your international phone will be much more expensive than what you are already used to in the States.

Due to the confusion and the need to find the best deal, we have surveyed previous students and have pulled together a hopefully helpful table which shows the benefits and disadvantages of each option based on their feedback. We do not endorse any of the listed companies nor do we receive any commissions from them. In fact, you could find plenty of other options on your own by doing a simple search on the web. However, we simply want to provide you with a starting point for your search for a cell phone. Details can be found on our cell phone table.

Skype is a company that allows you to make free phone calls from your computer to another Skype user or to land or cell phones at very reduced rates through credit card payments – see www.skype.comfor more details. Yahoo also offers free calling. Visit http://messenger.yahoo.com/for more information.